Pneumatic shoe-form



No. 6|4,508. Patented Nov. 22, |898. E. L. SMITH.

PNEUMATI'C SHOEv FORM.

(Application led Feb. 17, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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NrTnD STATES ATENT Enron.

EDIVIN LABEN SMITH, OF SALIDA, COLORADO.

PNEUMATIC SHOE-FORM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 614,508, dated November 22, 1898.

Application filed February 1'7, 1898. Serial No. 670,660. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN LABEN SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salida, in the county of Chaffee and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Shoe-Forms, of which the following is a full and complete specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to pneumatic shoeforms of that class which are designed to be placed within a shoe and fill the same into proper normal condition for display or other purposes.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and improved pneumatic shoe-form which will be especially adapted for convenient and effective application to shoes of va-v rious styles, sizes, toe-shapes, dto.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by the same letters of reference in both of the views, and in Which- Figure l is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a pneumatic shoe-form embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 2 2, Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the body of the form, which conforms in its general contour to the interior of a shoe. This body is hollow and of air-tight construction and is adapted to be infiated. It may be formed of rubber or any other suitable or adapted elastic and air-tight material. When this body is placed in a shoe and inflated, it is designed to fill out the shoe in all its parts and give it the same normal shape and appearance as it would have when Worn upon the foot. The top of the body A is closed by a plate or disk B, which may be constructed of wood, metal, or any other suitable or adapted material, and this top plate is provided with an opening, from which extends a tube O of adapted length, carrying at its outer end a cap c. This tube is designed to be used as an inflation device for blowing up or expanding the body A. The cap c operates to close the pneumatic shoe-form after it is inated, and may be an ordinary screwcap or of any other adapted construction.

D designates stiffening-strips, which are secured inside the body A at the sides of the rear portion by cementing or in any other adapted manner a-nd extend around the ankle portion or sides of the form. These stiftening-strips may be constructed of hard or vul canized rubber, leather, or other adapted material, and operate to prevent an undue round contour at the ankle portion of the shoe when the form is in position therein. noted that the strips D preferably do not extend at the back of the form, so that the back above the heel portion can expand or fill out when the form is inflated and freely adapt itself to the various curved contours of shoes at this point.

E designates a stiifening-strip which is secured by cementing or otherwise on the inside of the bottom or sole portion of the body A and preferably extends from the rear or heel end nearly vto the toe portion. This solestrip is constructed of Wood, metal, or other adapted material, and its office is to facili'- tate the insertion of the shoe-form into position in a shoe without unlacing or unbutton= ing the latter.

If desired, the ankle-stiffening strips D may be constructed of leather and the sole-stiffen-V ing stripE may be constructed of whalebone, whereby the desired degree of rigidity and at the same time a convenient degree of flexibility in these parts may be secured.

The operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understood. By reason of the improved construction and arrangement of parts as comprised in my invention a single form of determined size will be adapted for effective use in connection with various sizes of shoes, it being only desirable to have forms of different contour in respect to the different types of shoes in connection with which they are designed to be used. For low shoes and slippers the top of the form can be shortened, while for bicycle shoes or boots the top of the form can be heightened.

Myimproved pneumatic shoe-form is adapted to readily accommodate itself to variations in the general shape and styles of the toe or other portions of the shoe, and it also oper- It will be Y IOO ates to brace the top of the shoe. lt is very compact, light, and durable, and is adapted to be folded into a very small space for transportation.

An important feature of my invention is that it is adapted to be placed Within a shoe or removed therefrom without unbuttoning or unlacing the shoe, the st-iffening means being arranged to serve as a guide in this cperation, and the form will also ill out the Whole interior of Jthe shoe from top to toe.

Having fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- A pneumatic shoe-form comprising an inelastic frame and a flexible elastic covering, the Whole conforming in its general contour when inflated to the interior of the shoe, being expansive Where not restrained by said frame, and provided with an ankle or top opening, a disk which is secured in said opening, and by which said opening is closed or sealed, a tube which passes through said disk, and through which said form may be iniated, said inelastic frame comprising said disk, Wide flexible strips at the sides of the rear portion of the shoe-form, and of a Width approximately coincident with said rear portion, and a flexible strip at the bottom of said shoe-form and of a length approximately c0- inoident with said bottom, said Wide flexible strips at the rear portion extending from said fiexible strip at the bottom to said disk, at said ankle-opening, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of the subscribing Witnesses, this 12th day of February, 1898.

EDWIN LABEN SMITH.

lVitnesses:

II. S. LAWTON, F. H. DRONEY. 

